Following the welcome announcement that First Capital Connect’s rail franchise is to be terminated 18 months early, local Liberal Democrats Sandy Walkington and Chris White are going to be meeting railways minister Norman Baker to air their concerns over the current failings in the service.

“We have just returned from the Liberal Democrat conference in Birmingham which allowed us to meet up with party colleagues from Bedford to Brighton along the length of the Thameslink route,” Chris White said. “The story is the same everywhere – huge frustration with the quality of service and even more with the derisory compensation when things go wrong.”

Commenting on the ending of the current franchise, Sandy Walkington said, “The appalling frustrations suffered for so long by so many local commuters make it imperative that future franchise terms are revised to have a far stronger focus on the needs of the passenger. We will be talking to as many local commuters as possible to get their input into what needs to be changed.”